Snow Business, December 2017

COVER STORY Frankie Ippolito Travis Dassylva Different paths bring Ippolito Dassylva together Frankie Ippolito and Travis Dassylva bring out the best in each other In some respects they couldnt be more different their locations how they came to the snow business and the skill sets that make them successful But those differences along with a common love of family and appreciation for hard work have shaped their partnership and helped each solidify their companies Location To say that Dassylva experienced culture shock when he began commuting to Boston to work with Ippolito is an understatement He came from a small town of about 10000 to a fast paced city of nearly 700000 Riding with Frankie was like getting a history lesson Its so big and there is so much to do that Im not used to I live in a small city so it was a big adjustment for me he says A fathers influence Although Ippolito grew up in the business his familys company started in the 1940s and added snow services in the 1970s he didnt really get involved in day to day operations until 2011 when his father Frank passed away It wasnt an easy transition since Ippolito worked full time as VP of human resources for a Fortune 500 company Looking back I didnt realize how much work he was doing When I took over I saw we had a big gap between the person running the business and those doing the work My strength is in the back of the business he says Dassylva also grew up in the industry His father mows for the State of Ohio and also provides snow services through his lawn care and landscaping company Traveling with him around the state I learned more than I realized I would always pick his brain listen to him I gained a lot of hands on operations experience with big equipment and how to manage snow at an early age Starting my own business was a dream of mine for as long as I can remember he says Merging skill sets Their diverse backgrounds have brought Travis and Frankie closer and they share their expertise to help each others companies grow stronger Being able to talk to Travis about operational logistics and knowing he would be in Boston in the winter to help manage operations for example gave Frankie the confidence to bid on bigger more complex jobs than he had in the past For Travis Frankies biggest influence can be seen in the back of the office with marketing billing software online advertising and web development Although the relationship started as a way to help Ippolitos company in no way is this a one sided deal he says When we talk its not the business its our business The we is really important It can be lonely at the top and Travis understands that I can bounce ideas off him and hell give advice without judgment The results speak volumes Our growth is good and Travis is key to that Frankie says Travis agrees wholeheartedly We want to see each other do great things Im glad I found Frankie to help me and to accept me in to let me help him You dont find someone like Frankie every day Hes a true good friend that will give you the best advice and tell you how it is Thats the kind of person I want to surround myself with OPPOSITES ATTRACT 22 SNOW BUSINESS DECEMBER 2017 www sima org snowbusiness